Why Designer J.W. Anderson Will Always Fly Commercial

Designer of-the-moment J.W. Anderson explains his fear of taking private flights, plus offers a few of his favorite travel tips. Hint: He might be a fashion designer, but he still packs light.

Good news for anyone into vintage travel goods (and you know we are): Designer-of-the-moment Jonathan William Anderson is putting camera luggage back on the fashion map via a camera bag designed to house the Nikon 1 compact, and he debuted it at today's spring/summer 2014 catwalk show at London Collections: Men. I figured it was the perfect opportunity to ask the Northern Irish-born multitasker (he also just unveiled his first collection for Versace Versus) about his own travel habits.

Why a camera bag?

I have all these old, leather, 1940s and 1950s camera cases that my grandfather gave me, and I wanted to make a chic, modern version of that. We’re so used to digital photography nowadays that I think we underestimate what an amazing object the camera is. Back in my grandfather’s day it was considered such a precious thing to have that you really had to protect it at all costs. The bag is a standalone piece—it had to be something that was timeless and not geared towards men or women—but I think it’s been done with the same eye that’s gone into this collection.

What will you carry in yours?

The Nikon 1, because I take pictures of every single look in the collection with it before I edit them and work out the running order for my shows. I also carry two phones, and my credit card will be floating in there somewhere, along with a notebook and a pen. I like to have a small bag with me, as well as a rucksack.

I’m not high maintenance. I’m a very basic traveler, because I hate putting luggage in the hold and having to wait around for it at the end of long flight, so I end up taking few clothes and buying cheap T-shirts on arrival. I take a toothbrush, shower gel, and deodorant, which all have to be in miniature now to get through security, of course. I like traveling on my own rather than in a group, because for me it’s an opportunity to switch off and do nothing. I love that feeling of being between time zones because it’s almost like time doesn’t exist. You can’t be reached and you can really zone out.

So you don’t work on vacation?

I’ve never worked on holiday, but that’s mainly because I haven’t taken a holiday in seven years. I’m saving my air miles for one, though. At the moment I have 39,000 miles and I need 70,000. I really want to go to Buenos Aires. I’m not very good on a beach; I get bored quickly and I always have to be on some kind of mission.

You’re running with a fast crowd now: Have you been on many private jets?

I would never travel on a private jet—I’d be absolutely petrified. Maybe I’m superstitious, but I feel like it’s better from a safety perspective when you’re with a mass of people, like the pilot’s going to pay more attention or something. I’ll travel with anyone but I prefer British Airways because they look after you well. I hate it when you spend so much money on a flight and they treat you like cattle.

How does travel influence your designs?

I’m lucky to be in a situation where I get to travel a lot. Seeing new places and meeting people from different cultures—that’s the most important thing because when you’re designing, you shouldn’t be doing it with just one type of person in mind. I went to a club in Hong Kong recently and it was kind of like a car parking lot where you bring your own booze. It had this incredible energy—a naïveté, you could say—that I feel London has lost recently.

You live and work in East London, though. Any tips for visitors?

There’s a place called L’Entrepôt near Hackney Downs that I love—it has an amazing wine selection and real food, with no pretense. I’d recommend that to anyone.

A limited run of 400 bags is available at the Nikon Store starting today